Crazy
by Sparklin Kitty
Summary: Just as the title says, someone in this fic's a nutter.Kinda hard to explain summary-wise. Multi-chap, Mistoria. It will be a while before I update.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This was supposed to be someone's b-day present, but I mixed the months up (I'm a great friend, right? -sarcasm)**

**But I like this fic anyway, so...it got posted.**

**(The song in this chapter is "crazy girl" by multiple artists. Obviously, I changed the lyrics to "crazy tom" instead. And then I cut out a word at the end. It fits better.)**

**It'll be a bit before I update this anymore, seeing as I have two other fics I'm working on. Also, I should have Black as Night, Red as Blood wrapped up in a few more chapters.**

**Chapter One: Crazy Tom**

Victoria sighed, thinking of a certain tuxedo tomcat. She thought of Mistoffelees' better days, when he heard no voices and actually remembered her name. A song came to mind.

"_Crazy tom, don't you know that I love you? You know that I wouldn't dream of goin' nowhere._

_Crazy tom, you know that I need you -"_

Victoria stopped singing. It was pointless – Mistoffelees probably couldn't even recognize her anymore. His good days were few and far between, now.

Ever since he'd almost killed Etcetera in a performance-gone-wrong, the little tuxedo had been hearing voices in his head. Mistoffelees had told Victoria how they mocked him, how they made him feel even more guilty for what he'd done.

The white queen stood up slowly and walked to the medical den. She knocked lightly on the worn door and it swung gently inward, revealing a tired-looking Jellylorum.

"Is he here?" Victoria asked.

"As always." Jellylorum replied, ushering the white queen inside. "But it isn't one of his better days, I'm afraid. He's not a bad as he could be...but..."

"It doesn't matter. I really need to see him." Jellylorum nodded.

Victoria was guided to Mistoffelees' room in the medical den. As usual, there the tuxedo sat, muttering quietly to himself.

"Mistoffelees?" Jellylorum called hesitantly. He seemed not to hear her and continued talking to someone no one else could see.

"Why don't you try, Victoria? He seems to respond best to you."

"All right" The white queen said softly. "Mistoffelees?"

The magician's head snapped up and he stopped muttering. Jellylorum smiled faintly.

"Usually nothing gets his attention on days like this. Now, Victoria, I have some work to do. I'll be in the main part of the den if you need me." The elderly queen left the tuxedo's room.

~~~short pause~~~

"Victoria!" Mistoffelees exclaimed incredulously, as if he'd just realized that there were cats in his room. "It's been forever since I've seen you! I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Never, Mistoffelees." Victoria replied, even though she'd gone to see him just the day before. "How are the voices?"

"I think they're going away, but I can't really tell."

"It's going to be all right." The white queen nuzzled his forehead. He purred softly.

"How's Etcetera?"

"She's been fine, Mistoffelees, for three months now. All she wants is for you to stop blaming yourself and get healthy again." Victoria left out how much she wanted it to happen, herself.

"I can't. They keep telling me that she's gonna die young and that it'll be my fault."

"The voices are lying, Mistoffelees." Victoria gave him a quick hug, hiding her worry for him. "It was only a little burn." The white queen grimaced at the lie as she thought of the image of Etcetera crying out in pain, half her body burnt.

"I guess." He sighed and ran a claw along his bedspread, not noticing the long scratch he left in it.

~~~A bit later~~~ 

"I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, I promise." Victoria stood up and made as if to leave. Instead, she felt something catch hold of her arm. It was the little tuxedo's paw on her wrist.

"Don't go yet." Mistoffelees whispered, his eyes wide and pleading. "The voices go away whenever you come. And...I..I...love you. Please stay for a little while longer, at least." Victoria simply stood there, in shock. The tom she'd loved from a distance for so long, the tom no one could get to stop talking to the voices in his head now, actually loved her back.

"Of course. I love you too." She said simply, sitting down beside him. She leaned on his shoulder and he wrapped his tail around her waist. It was perfect. She loved Mistoffelees, voices or no.

~~~Later (again)~~~

"I need to talk to Jellylorum." Victoria said quietly. "I'll be back in a few moments." The tuxedo stared at her sadly, but let her leave. The white queen walked into the main area of the medical den and saw Jellylorum bandaging a cut on Pouncival's paw.

"Hey!" The brown and white tom said. "How's Mistoffelees? Is he coming home yet? Is he?"

"N-" Jellylorum began.

"That's what I'm going to find out." Victoria cut her off.

"You're good to go, Pouncival." Jellylorum shooed the tomkit out of her den. "Now, what do you mean by that, Victoria?"

"Well, um, I love Mistoffelees – as you know – and he told me he loved me just now, and I wanted to see if he could come stay with me?"

"Honey, he's not well. I wouldn't listen to anything he says. And that's why he can't leave here."

"Are you saying I should brush off what he says as the ravings of a lunatic?"

"Not exactly, Victoria, but I don't know how good for him it'd be if he left. He's been in here for three months and he's not improved a bit, in fact, he's worse off than he was."

"Just my point!" The white queen almost shouted. "He needs to get out. I'm not surprised the voices he hears aren't gone yet, with the amount of isolation he has!"

"Victoria..." Jellylorum said quietly. "You're going to scare him."

"Just...please let him leave for a few nights. If it doesn't work out, then he can come back. Please?"

"Three nights only. Then we'll _see_ about a long-term arrangement."

"Thank you! He's going to be so happy! Thank you thank you thank you!" Victoria hugged the elderly queen and ran back into Mistoffelees' room.

~~In Misto's room~~~

Victoria ran into the room, halting when she saw Mistoffelees arguing with himself. He looked up at her, but continued talking to the voice.

"See?" He said smugly. "I _told _you she was coming back... Yes, she did, she's right there."

"Mistoffelees, I have to tell you something." Victoria said quietly, hoping he would be responsive.

"Okay, just don't interrupt them again. It...annoys them."

"I'll try not to. But, you won't have to be in here much more, baby, I convinced Jellylorum to let you stay at my place for three nights. And if that works out, then you can stay longer." Victoria tried to hold her joy in, but she realized she didn't have to. Mistoffelees leap off the bed and hugged her as tightly as he could.

"I can't wait to get out of this place." He purred. "Can't wait to be with you."

"I feel the same. Let's go see Jellylorum about getting your stuff packed up."

Jellylorum reluctantly gave the young couple – the ballet kitten and the magician whose guilty conscience had driven him slightly insane – a small duffel bag to put Mistoffelees' effects in. She did warn them that she'd come in to check on him every day at noon.

"There!" Victoria smiled as she packed the last of Mistoffelees' spell books – now fallen into disuse – into the duffel bag.

"Thanks...No, not you. I was thanking Victoria." Mistoffelees muttered quietly.

"I thought you said the voices went away when I was here?"

"Not exactly. They're quieter when you're around."

"Come on then, time to see the tribe again."

~~~Outside the Medical den~~~

Victoria smiled as Mistoffelees looked around at the Junkyard in wonder. He hadn't been out for three months, and a lot had changed.

"Is that...Cassandra...with my brother?" He asked Victoria in an undertone as the couple in question stared at him in shock. Then Alonzo grinned widely and ran up to his brother, hugging him.

"You're out!" He exclaimed. The black and white tom mouthed _"Are his voices gone yet?" _at Victoria over the tuxedo's shoulder. The white queen shook her head. Alonzo's grin faded.

"So, where are you staying?" Mistoffelees was scratching strange symbols in the dirt with his claw and took a few moments before responding.

"I'm staying...at Victoria's place." He spoke slowly, as if unsure how to act around other cats, even his own family.

"Well, good luck. To both of you." The black and white tom said, chuckling weakly. "That crazy tom is a bit of a pawful." Victoria smiled, thinking of the song again. She whispered the words under her breath.

"_Crazy tom, you know that I love you..."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry this has taken so long to update, but some family things came up and I lacked the time to continue writing. Now that it's summer break, I should be able to update a bit more frequently. **

**Disclaimer: I do not, no matter how much I may wish I do, own CATS. I am obsessed with it, like the rest of you nice people, but I am not ALW, TSE, or RUG.**

**Chapter Two: Unwell**

Mistoffelees flicked his ears back in annoyance – the voices were being extremely loud this morning. The little tuxedo could barely get a thought in for himself.

You see, to the cats of the Junkyard, Mistoffelees was simply the victim of a guilty conscience, and the voices he heard were nothing more than a manifestation of said guilty conscience. But to the magician, the voices were as real as the cats in the den nearest him.

_You know, Victoria has no feelings for you in the slightest. How could she? You're a monster, exactly like your father. Cold, heartless, a murder. The voices said snidely. _

"I...I'm not a monster." Mistoffelees muttered, standing up and walking over to the edge of the 'yard. Few Jellicles were ever there, so the magician felt he could think in peace. He kicked a can out of the Junkyard gate, flinching at the noise it made when one of the human's cars ran over it.

_You might as well go back to your father and be done with it. They've been waiting for you to show your true colors since you were a kit. They know what you're capable of; they saw how you hurt Etcetera. And you enjoyed hurting her, didn't you?_

"No! I never wanted to hurt her! My magic..." The tuxedo replied. He'd simply lost control of his powers, burning Etcetera.

_Your magic is meant to kill. _

"It's just for show." Mistoffelees whimpered. He felt lost, like a kit in a storm. The tuxedo thought as though he had no one to turn to, no one to rely on.

A loud clattering noise broke the still of the night. Mistoffelees dropped into a defensive position, ears flat against his head and paws sparking dangerously.

"Whoa, cool it." Rum Tum Tugger turned the corner and stepped into view. "I'm just on patrol and knocked a can off a junkpile. No need to overreact."

"Sorry...I'm just a little nervous." Mistoffelees muttered quietly, straightening back up and letting the magic built up in his paws die away.

_You were ready to fry anything that came near you. You're able to murder without feeling any remorse whatsoever. _

"I wouldn't murder someone!" The magician shouted, clenching his paws.

"I never said you would." The main coon looked at him curiously. "I think you should get back to Victoria's place."

"I don't know..." Mistoffelees trailed off and Tugger took advantage of his distraction by grabbing the tuxedo's arm and dragging him towards Victoria's den.

_Just kill him. Electrocute anyone that stands in your way. You know you're capable of it._

"No!...Let me go, Tugger!" Mistoffelees dug his heels into the ground and struggled against the much stronger tom's grasp on his arm, feeling his powers well up dangerously.

_You know you won't feel any regret after you kill him. Your father will welcome you; he knows how you almost killed Etcetera._

"I don't want to kill anyone!" The magician shouted, wrenching his arm away from Rum Tum Tugger just in time. He lost control of his magic and a sheen of electricity covered his entire body, making his fur stand on end.

Victoria walked out of her den, hearing someone shout. Mistoffelees was sparking with electricity, staring at his paws with wide eyes, and Tugger was looking at him in shock.

"I'm not going to use my magic on him." Mistoffelees meowed.

"You'd better not!" Tugger exclaimed, backing away from his one-time best friend.

"Mistoffelees!" Victoria ran up to the magician and made as if to stroke his fur. He jumped away from her.

"Don't! They want me to kill someone, and I'm afraid that if I touch you, you'll end up dead!" Mistoffelees backed into a junkpile. The white queen slowly walked up to him.

"Shh. Shh. You're all right." Victoria soothed him in this manner until his fur finally lost all electric qualities. The white queen then gently stroked Mistoffelees' headfur, causing a small smile to grace his lips.

"I'm just gonna leave you two lovebirds alone." Tugger said, walking up to Victoria, and in a whisper said, "Please try and help him. I've gone three months without him helping me prank cats, and I can't take it anymore."

"Sure thing, Tugger. Now get going." Victoria chuckled weakly and shoved the Main Coon along.

"I won't use my magic on anyone. Especially not Victoria." Mistoffelees muttered, clenching and unclenching his paws rapidly.

"Hey, come on, baby, let's get back to my den. Easy, easy." Victoria gently stood the magician up and walked him slowly to her den.

Mistoffelees slowly sat down on Victoria's bed, muttering unintelligibly.

"Misto," The white queen said quietly, using her pet name for him. "Please listen."

"You interrupted them again. They're never going to give me any peace." The magician said, not looking up. Victoria gently lifted his chin, looking into his troubled eyes.

"I think we need to see someone. It might help ease the guilt."

"Who?"

"I think we need to take you to see Etcetera." Victoria looked at him, his messy headfur and dirty white patches that needed a good grooming, his eyes too wide and scared – as usual, and his fingers drumming nervously on his leg. He couldn't go on in this state.

"No! I can't see her, she's probably bedridden and it's my fault!" He flicked his tail and wrung his paws together.

"Misto, she's completely fine. She's got a scar, but she's fine. You need to see her."

"I don't think I can…The guilt will eat me alive." He replied, barely above a whisper.

"It already is. Please come, Misto." Victoria slowly stood up and made as if to walk out of the den. Just as she reached the door, Mistoffelees' paw landed on her shoulder.

"I…I guess I can go see her, if she's really not bedridden."

"She's not."

"Did you hear that? Etcetera isn't bedridden, you were wrong."

"Of course the voices were wrong. Now, come along, let's go see Etcetera." The white queen gently led the magician out of her den. He stood there for a moment, blinking rapidly in the sunlight.

"All right. Let's go see her." Mistoffelees said, following quietly after the white queen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who pointed out the spelling errors! I fixed my AutoCorrect for "Ecetera" and fixed my spelling on "main". **

**Dear M-M-M.M, I'm sorry about how bittersweet this is. I think I have a thing for stuff like it.  
>A gigantic thank you to TheSweetClover for all the help with my plotline. You rule! <strong>

**Chapter Three: Etcetera**

Victoria eased Mistoffelees off the bed and gently walked him back out into the daylight., towards Etcetera's den. The hyperactive queen had only recently left her family den and was still quite kittenish in her actions.

"I can't do this." Mistoffelees whimpered, slowing his pace nearly to a halt.

"Yes, sweetie, you can. It will be good for you. And I'll be right there." Victoria gently urged him onwards, rubbing his back. They passed Jemima sunning on the TSE, Electra stretching out on the tire, and Alonzo doing an imitation of the humans' tango with Cassandra. Even Mistoffelees chuckled weakly when the elegant queen stopped and whispered the next step to her mate.  
>Victoria smiled at his laughter and led him behind the tire to Etcetera's den.<br>The magician muttered nervously, wringing his paws together.

Victoria caught snippets of his one-sided conversation. "...I can't hurt her...Don't care if you want that...I won't..."

The white queen frowned and looked up. Etcetera was standing outside her den, showing her scar off proudly to a couple of passing strays.

"See? It goes all the way down my shoulder to my stomach!" The excitable queen purred, pointing to the scar. The strays were politely hiding their disgust.

"Etcetera?" Victoria called, feeling rather sympathetic towards the strays, who were obviously unaccustomed to the sight of the pink strip of puckered flesh along Etcetera's side, shaped rather curiously like the lightning bolt that had struck her.

"Hmm? Oh, Victoria! And you brought Mistoffelees!" Etcetera dashed over and hugged Victoria. Mistoffelees stared as if she were a ghost.

"C-could I...shake your paw?" The magician asked timidly.

"Of course!" The hyperactive queen had no hard feelings towards her idol's nephew and best friend's crush, so she happily extended her paw with a grin. Mistoffelees tentatively shook it, smiling thinly when he realized she was real.

And then he noticed her scar.

"I did that?" Mistoffelees continued without waiting for an answer. "I did that. I did that. I did that! I did that! I DID THAT!" The usually graceful tom stumbled off, repeating the phrase with horror and self-disgust.

"...I'm kinda proud of my scar." Etcetera mumbled. "Do you want me to help look for him?"

"No." Victoria replied. "Stay here. I might be able to get him to stay and talk with you."

"All right..." Etcetera sighed and ambled off.

Victoria turned on her heel, hoping the magician hadn't teleported off. She lifted her small pink nose into the air and sniffed gently, searching for Mistoffelees' scent. Hopefully she could find him before -

There! His trail wound around junkpiles, under garbage, and past dens. Victoria followed it diligently, knowing he'd either have to teleport or stop moving. The white queen paused, thinking she heard a soft whimper. She turned around, a reassuring smile on her face.  
>Nothing.<p>

With a sigh, Victoria padded softly to a secluded area of the Junkyard in an attempt to clear her head. She gave start when she heard a mutter.

"I did that...you're right...I can't believe it...she's going to end up dead!" Mistoffelees was hidden in the exact spot Victoria had planned to sit. The white queen walked towards him, attempting to keep her approach silent.

His head snapped up as soon as she placed a paw on the ground.  
>"I can't <em>do <em>this any more." He whispered softly, standing up. "I don't want to kill anyone, and it keeps getting harder and harder to ignore them!" His amber eyes were watering.

"Baby.." Victoria meowed. "Please, for me." She knew how selfish she was being, but she simply couldn't help it. Mistoffelees would get better, and they would be properly mated. Just like in her dreams.

"This is for you." He replied, nuzzling her quickly. Victoria felt the warm dampness of his tears soak the side of her face, and her eyes quickly filled with salty water.

"No, you...you can't do this! Think of Tugger, and Munkustrap, and all of your other friends!" Mistoffelees wiped away her tears before hissing softly and jerking his paw away as electricity shot out of it with a sharp snap.

"See that? I had my magic under control, but it won't last much longer. I am thinking of them, when the voices aren't crowding everything else out."

"Please..." Victoria started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Rory, sweetheart, I just can't hurt anyone else. I have to do all that's in my power to ignore them"

With that, Mr. Mistoffelees disappeared.

~~~OoO~~~

The small tuxedo coughed as he brushed dirt off his coat.

_See? That wasn't so hard. Just do as we say and we won't crowd out your thoughts anymore._

"I..." Mistoffelees bounced nervously on his paws. "Do you promise?"

Just then, a stray tomcat walked out of an alley, a mouse in his paws.

_Only if you kill him first._


	4. Chapter 4

**Um..there are some slightly sadistic themes in this chapter. Violence, lack of distinction between right and wrong, masochism...**

**There'll be a summary at the focus-switch if you don't like the masochistic gore and such.**

**Yeah.**

**Chapter Four: Demented**

"Kill him?" Mistoffelees whispered, backing away from the tomcat, who looked at him curiously.

"Kill 'oo?" His teeth were horribly out of place, causing a bit of saliva to hit the magician on the face.

_He doesn't respect you. He spat on your face. Kill him. _The voices raised in volume to almost a shout.  
>The tuxedo's thoughts were fuzzy and unclear. Pressing a paw to his forehead, he muttered darkly.<p>

"Hey, I sed 'kill 'oo'?" The tom glared impatiently at Mistoffelees, and the magician stared just as harshly back.

"You. You aggravate them, make them get louder." Mistoffelees' ears were pressed flat against his head, as if to block out some unwanted noise.

"Me?" The tom backed away. The magician simply stepped even closer than before, claws extended and teeth bared.

"Yes, you." He hissed and swiped a paw at him, making brief contact with the tom's arm. However, the tom lived on the streets, and therefore had far more fighting experience than Mistoffelees. The tom dropped into a crouch, his body tense yet fluid, hinting at imminent movement.

However, instead of attacking, the tom ran off and quickly disappeared from sight.  
><em>You idiotic tom. He was right there, so vulnerable. All you needed to do was drop and swipe at his legs.<em>

"Please...stop..." The tuxedo crawled into an alley, looking for something that would quiet his tormented thoughts.

_You deserve this, you disgusting monster. Your father will welcome you with open arms._

"Stop!" Mistoffelees clouded thoughts then brought him to the twisted conclusion that self-injury would stop the voices.

"How's this for killing someone?" Holding his paws out in front of him, he sunk his razor-sharp claws into the soft flesh of his arms.

A scream of pain strangely mingled with a deep purr filled the alley as Mistoffelees' blood trickled out between his claws and down his crossed arms, staining the white spots of his fur a dark red. The pain caused him pleasure as well, in the twisted way it could. The stress seemed to melt further away as Mistoffelees dug his claws deeper into his shoulder blades.

The tuxedo dragged his claws from his shoulders down to his elbows, yowling in agonized ecstasy as the flesh split, blood gushing out from the self-inflicted wounds. It hurt, but the pain felt _so_ good, so welcome.  
>It seemed the voices were quieted, for the time being.<p>

Mistoffelees almost grudgingly retracted his claws when he noticed the small pool of his own blood surrounding him.  
><em>That won't work very long, now will it?<br>_Gasping weakly at the return of the voices, Mistoffelees fainted, landing in his blood.

~~OoO~~

**(Summary for above bit if you skipped it- Misto tries to get into a fight, but the tom flees. Unable to stop the voices that way, he slices his arms open in an attempt to destroy himself, and gets some sort of twisted emotional high from it. He then fainted from extensive blood loss)**

Victoria dragged herself out of her depressed stupor and walked towards Jellylorum's medical den. Walking in without knocking, the white queen stepped right in the middle of Jellylorum training Jennyanydots.

"Victoria!" Jellylorum meowed, putting her things away quickly and dismissing the Gumbie cat.

"I just wanted to...um...inform you that Mistoffelees..er... ran away." Victoria mumbled, her eyes tearing up again.

"WHAT?" The elderly queen was suddenly frantic. "Did he give any clues as to where he went?"

"Not really, but he wanted to go somewhere where he couldn't hurt anyone else." Victoria was shoved roughly against the wall as Jellylorum stormed outside and called out;

"MUNGOJERRIE! RUMPLETEAZER!"

Causing a small avalanche, two teenage kits ran out of a junkpile and towards the older queen.

"Ya screeched?" The queen, Rumpleteazer, asked innocently.

Jellylorum ignored the subtle snub and pressed them for answers."Where are the most secluded places in London? One where someone would go to avoid all Jellicles?"

"Ah...The fish mahket, maybe the awld abandoned pub." Mungojerrie replied after a thoughtful pause.

"Which of these does Mistoffelees know of?" The twins scratched their headfur quietly.

"Probably the fish mahket. 'e used to go get things for Busto's clubs there, before 'e found out 'e was magiky, and a _long_ time before 'e went all loony." Rumpleteazer meowed. Mungojerrie nodded his agreement.  
>"Lead me, Munkustrap, and a small party there. I have reason to believe he's left and gone there."<p>

The calicos dashed off to find the silver tabby.  
>"Could I come?" Victoria asked timidly. Jellylorum looked up at her, now busily packing a medical supply bag.<p>

"I'm afraid not, dear. I have no idea what state his mind is in." The elderly queen returned to her packing, debating between taking bandages or restraints. After a long pause, she shoved both into the already full to bursting bag.

~~OoO~~

Mistoffelees' eyelids slowly fluttered open. He tried to sit up, but collapsed back onto the ground when a fiery pain shot up his arms.

Glancing at his forelimbs, the magician winced when he saw the shredded flesh – in some cases showing bone underneath the muscle. He knew that he couldn't do that again, unless he wanted to die. Although that thought was becoming quite the tempting idea.

Suddenly, the scent of rotted fish permeated the air.

Mistoffelees leaned over as best he could without the use of his arms and retched onto the pavement beside him.

_You're weak. Weak. _

"I ignored you last night. I think that takes strength." Mistoffelees wiped his mouth and shuffled backwards using only his legs. "I need to get myself cleaned up." He gingerly licked his arm in an attempt to clean it, but only succeeded in re-opening the few closed wounds he had.

"Oh, Bast."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N So, we now have chapter five. The gore is done with, but the road ahead for Misto is by no means an easy one.  
>Also, there's going to be something revealed about the voices. <strong>

**Have you noticed times when they've known something they couldn't have if they were really a figment of Misto's imagination? Yeah.**

**Chapter Five: Rescue**

Jellylorum rushed out of the medical den, bent slightly over the weight of the bag she'd brought.  
>Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had done their job. Munkustrap, Alonzo, Plato, Admetus, and Asparagus Jr. stood in a small clump near the gate.<p>

"Do you want some help with that?" Admetus stepped forward and shouldered Jellylorum's medical bag himself.

"Lead the way, you two." Munkustrap gestured for the twins to move. Nodding, the two mischievous calicos moved quietly forward. They realized the urgency of the situation.

~OoO~

When they reached the fish market, Munkustrap signaled for everyone to stop moving.

"All right." He whispered. "We're going to need to be exceedingly quiet. We have no idea how he'll react to seeing us or what he's been doing while he was gone."

"Any specific way you want us to search?" Asparagus asked.

"Yes. In groups of two. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, me and Alonzo, Plato and Asparagus, and Jellylorum and Admetus." The Jellicles split into their respective groups, each searching a different alley or by-street.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer looked into the alley they were searching. It was full of boxes and crates that had once held fish. They stank horribly of rotted sea creatures.

"Oh, lovely." Rumpleteazer muttered. Her brother was already neck-deep in the crates.

"I don' think 'e's 'ere." Mungojerrie meowed.

"Naw, 'e ain't." The calico queen replied.

Jellylorum offered once again to take the medical supply bag back from her partner.  
>"It's no trouble at all, ma'am." Admetus meowed steadfastly, turning the corner into the by-street they were searching.<br>"If you insist." The elderly queen grumbled.

Plato walked slowly behind Asparagus.

"I don't see why we have to go looking for the loony guy. If he wants to leave, let him." The ginger-and-white tom said loudly.

"Shh!" Asparagus hissed. "We have to find him because _he isn't right in the head. _He doesn't know what he wants."

~~OoO~~

Mistoffelees moaned quietly as another wave of pain washed over him.

"Let it end." He meowed piteously.

_Oh, no. You won't die today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after that. It will be a long and slow process._

The magician made an unintelligible sound and flicked his ears back, unable to tug at them with his paws like he usually did. The rivulets of blood continued to make their way down his arms.

~~OoO~~

Munkustrap and Alonzo slowly walked past alleys and by-streets. Suddenly, Alonzo stopped.  
>"Munkustrap, he's here." The black-and-white tom shared an uncommonly close bond with his young brother, and was almost always right when he claimed he knew where Mistoffelees was.<br>"If you say so." The Jellicle Protector and his second-in-command walked into the alley, smelling cat-sick and blood.

Munkustrap, who was ahead of Alonzo, covered his companion's face.  
>"Alonzo, get Jellylorum and don't come back in here." The silver tabby turned Alonzo around and pushed him out the alley.<p>

~~OoO~~

Jellylorum's eyes widened in shock when she saw Mistoffelees' shivering form crouched at the end of the alley. The tuxedo's white patches of fur were now stained a deep red, his arms were clawed apart, and he was sitting in his own blood.

"Mistoffelees?" The elderly queen knelt down to his level, and lifted his chin the way a mother would to a sobbing kitten.

His eyes flickered open, and Jellylorum could see the madness residing there.

"Yeah?" He whispered hoarsely.

"Who did this to you?" Jellylorum was rooting through the medical bag behind her without looking back.

At the question, Mistoffelees grinned insanely. "I did." The tuxedo chuckled, then coughed slightly. "Stop!" He suddenly shouted, causing Jellylorum to flinch.

"H-hold still." She said softly. "I don't want you hurting yourself any more." Jellylorum had noticed his extended claws slowly inching towards his legs.

Mistoffelees obeyed, not wanting another set of voices in his head.  
>"Can you hold your paws out together in front of your chest?"<p>

"I...think so." Wincing and hissing, the magician complied. His paws were quickly shackled together, as were his legs.

"Good tom. These won't be on for too horribly long."

Mistoffelees stared, wide-eyed, at the chains on his limbs, barely registering the fact that his brother had lifted him into his arms and was carrying him back home.

~~OoO~~

"Hey, bro." Alonzo smiled thinly at his young sibling.

"Make it stop, please." The younger tuxedo looked at his brother with pleading eyes.

"Oh, buddy, if I could, I would."

"I want you all to know that I have to operate on those scratches when we get back." Jellylorum stepped up to the two toms.

~~OoO~~

Victoria paced worriedly alongside Alonzo outside the medical den. It had been nearly two hours since the group of Jellicles brought Mistoffelees back to the Junkyard. Finally, the door swung open.

"Victoria? Alonzo?" Jennyanydots meowed. "You can come in now, but you'll have to be quiet because Jellylorum gave Mistoffelees something that knocked him out cold."

The two Jellicles entered Mistoffelees' room, where he was deep in a medically induced sleep. His arms were bandaged down to his elbows, and his paws and feet were tied down to the bed. Otherwise, he could have been any other cat, deeply asleep.

"How many?" Alonzo asked, gently brushing his fingertips along the bandages.

"Two hundred seventy-eight stitches." Jellylorum replied carefully. "He's going to need so much help when he wakes up."

The three Jellicles watched as the tuxedo tugged on his bonds in sleep, mumbling incoherently.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hullo again! Just a notice, I _did _plan this out to be a shorty compared to my other stories.**

**Chapter Six: Macavity**

Victoria sat down next to Mistoffelees and took hold of the sleeping tom's paw, rubbing her cheek against it and biting back tears. Alonzo had reluctantly left his brother's side; he was scheduled to patrol that night, and Jellylorum was treating Plato for some injuries he'd received in a catfight with some strays.

Victoria felt Mistoffelees squirm as the tears flowed from her eyes and down his arm, tickling him. The white queen sighed and lifted her head, eyes watering anew with fresh tears when she saw his bandages again. Didn't he realize when he hurt himself, he hurt her too? She loved him, adored him, and he clawed his arms apart.

"Oh, Mistoffelees..." Victoria murmured softly. She was stunned when the tuxedo turned his face towards her and his eyelids slowly fluttered open.  
>"Victoria..." Mistoffelees sighed, smiling pleasantly up at her. His smile flickered after a moment, replaced by a confused frown. "Why am I all tied up?"<p>

"You tore your arms open, baby. Don't you remember?" Victoria's worries over his sanity increased tenfold after his last remark.  
>"Oh...yes...they won't let me forget that." He paused for a moment and squeezed his eyes shut. "They're getting louder, too."<p>

"Oh, dear." Victoria stroked his forehead, but the tom only bit his lip, in obvious pain.

~~OoO~~

"Stop!" Mistoffelees hissed, clenching his paws. It was as though the voices were shoving a red-hot rod into his brain, and he was unable to claw at his scalp due to his bonds.

_You're stronger than I thought, resisting me. If I cannot have you as my own through persuasion, I will have you through force._

"You...you...spoke as a 'we' before...are you one or many?" Mistoffelees questioned between pained gasps and hisses.

_My name is Macavity. And you are no longer Mistoffelees. You are mine. _

Suddenly, it was as though fire burned throughout Mistoffelees' mind and body. The tuxedo tom's back arched, and he pulled against his bonds, nearly cutting his wrists in the process.

_Give in. I own you. You can feel it, can't you? The anger, taking over your body?_

Mistoffelees screamed as a fresh wave of the fire surged through him, his body going limp against the bed.

"No...I am Mistoffelees..." The tuxedo yowled, his words distorted through pain.

~~OoO~~

Little did he know how much worry he was causing Victoria. The white queen grasped his paw with both of her own, murmuring soothing words to Mistoffelees. He dug his claws into her paw, arching his back and yowling in agony.

Suddenly, he slumped limply back onto the bed with a scream, tears leaking out between his tightly closed eyelids.

"No...I am Mistoffelees..." The tuxedo babbled senselessly, slowly retracting his claws from Victoria's paws and gripping it tightly instead.

His eyes flickered open once again and he looked at Victoria, his lip bleeding from where he had bitten it to stifle his screams.  
>"Help me." He whispered hoarsely. "Don't...don't let him take me."<p>

"Don't let who take you?" Victoria realized that he couldn't cause himself such pain, and slowly removed her paw from Mistoffelees' grasp, preparing to alert Jellylorum as soon as she discovered the identity of the cat harming him.

"Ma-Macavity." Mistoffelees hissed, biting back another yowl. As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted, lying unmoving on the bed.

Victoria gasped and scrambled to her feet, rushing to tell Jellylorum.

~~OoO~~~

_Look at you, trying to faint to get away from me. Do you think that someone able to invade your very mind and body is unable to bring you from your unconsciousness?_

The fire in Mistoffelees' body burned hotter, and images of violence were projected into his mind. Slowly strangling Munkustrap, starving Bustopher, stabbing Tugger with the spikes from his own collar, the magician saw himself doing all these things. And he felt himself beginning to enjoy the thought of it, as well. The fire receded somewhat.

_There. The ability to murder has been there all along, hasn't it? All I had to do was...enlighten you. Yes, I can feel it, I can feel you slipping under my control._

"No...I don't want to work for you. I don't want to kill my friends!" Mistoffelees screamed, digging his claws into the soft flesh of his paws.

_You don't have to, Mistoffelees. _A new voice entered his mind. It was a queen.

"Tantomile." Mistoffelees gasped, relaxing somewhat at the soothing voice. He forced his eyes open and saw the twins sitting beside him. "P-please help... he's taking me over, I can feel it."

_We will do our best, Mistoffelees, but you will have to fight him off yourself. You can do it._

_No he can't. He's already gone, you foolish Jellicles. _

At the remark, the tuxedo felt himself slipping. He felt something, someone else grin toothily with his mouth. Mistoffelees felt them form words with his lips, and he heard them being spoken.

"See? I own him. He is mine."

The tuxedo's eyes faded from his normal deep blue to a bloody red. With a new, unnatural strength, Mistoffelees felt his arms snap the chains binding them down. Macavity – for that was who he was now – sat up, grinning evilly at the twins.  
>"Now, you will let me escape, or I will kill you all." The tuxedo's appearance continued to change. His ears became more curled than before, until they looked like a demon's horns. His teeth grew into full-out fangs, and his claws were at the point where he could no longer sheath them fully. The twins backed slowly into a corner of the room.<p>

_Let me go. _Mistoffelees snarled – or tried to, he couldn't make his own body work no matter what he did.

_Oh, I will. Once I've broken you. _Macavity's cold, taunting voice replied. To Mistoffelees, it seemed to come from everywhere andnowhere at once.

_No. _Mistoffelees felt disembodied; he couldn't regain control.  
><em>Oh, but yes. <em>Macavity replied. Mistoffelees felt his spirit, his identity forced back. Gathering his willpower, the small tuxedo pushed his mind against Macavity's. He caught the stronger magician off his guard and regained control for but a moment.

_Ha. That won't work. _The evil tomcat forced Mistoffelees under his control with a sudden wave of pain.

_Mistoffelees. You don't have the strength to fight him on your own. Use our energy, please. _Coricopat entered his thoughts.

_No! I...I won't._

_You have to. He'll turn you into nothing more than a puppet otherwise! _Tantomile spoke. Mistoffelees and Macavity both felt the twins grip the tuxedo's black and white paws. Mistoffelees quickly drained their magical energy before Macavity could.

_Do you think that the energy from two mere psychics will enable you to defeat me? _Macavity sneered with the tuxedo's mouth.  
><em>Yes. <em>Mistoffelees replied. He gathered up his energy and strength, causing his body to curl into the fetal position. With a yell, Mistoffelees forced all his anger, hatred, and fear out – along with the spirit of Macavity.

A smoky grey cloud was forced from the tuxedo's body and out of the room. Mistoffelees' breathing slowly steadied from ragged gasps into more natural deep breaths.  
>"Let's let him-"<p>

"-sleep. And alert the-"

"-Jellicles that Mistoffelees is cured." The twins spoke in turn, and left the room in sync.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we have it. The last chapter in the first installment of my series. Yes, I said _series._****I have at least a sequel planned out.**

**Chapter Seven: A happy ending?**

Tantomile and Coricopat walked up to Jellylorum and Victoria in sync.

"Macavity attempted to posses Mistoffelees." The twins meowed, their voices creating an eerie melody. Jellylorum stared at them in shock.  
>"D-did he s-succeed?" The elderly queen stuttered, heading towards the tuxedo's bedroom. The twins made no move to stop her and Victoria rushed frantically past them.<br>"Mistoffelees won out-" Tantomile began.

"- in the end. It was proven-" Coricopat meowed, finishing his sister's sentence.  
>"-That he was stronger."<p>

Victoria nodded absently, not paying attention, and opened Mistoffelees' door. The tuxedo was sleeping lightly. Jellylorum checked his pulse while Victoria licked his face. The tuxedo pawed at her face and drowsily opened his eyes.

~~OoO~~

Mistoffelees caught Victoria's face with his paw and held her where she was, millimeters from his face. He hesitated. There was something off, something not quite the same as it was with himself.

The voices. They were gone! With that in mind, Mistoffelees sat up as best he could and fervently kissed Victoria.

The white queen seemed to melt in his arms. Mistoffelees pulled her into his lap, barely feeling the pain in his forelimbs.

"Ahem." Jellylorum coughed quietly, looking up at the roof. The twins had politely done the same.

"Sorry, sorry." Victoria murmured, unlocking her lips from Mistoffelees'. However, he held her in his lap, tiredly resting his head on her shoulder.

"Are you hearing any voices, Mistoffelees?" Jellylorum asked, all business.  
>"No, my thoughts are my own." The magician's former kittenlike demeanor was replaced with his normal eloquence.<br>"Good." The elderly queen nodded approvingly. "But I'm going to keep you here for a bit, just to make sure you aren't permanently traumatized."

"All right." Mistoffelees nodded. "Now, may I have some alone time with my mate?" Tantomile grinned and hustled the other two out of the room.  
>"You didn't ask me to be your mate." Victoria meowed, turning herself so she could face him while remaining in his lap.<br>"I am now." He smiled like he hadn't in months, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"Yes!" Victoria purred. She was caught with her mouth open as Mistoffelees kissed her again. Both kisses were rather awkward, with neither having kissed another before.

"Now, you need to talk to me." Victoria held the tuxedo's face in her paws, where he mock-pouted and poked his tongue out at her.

"As you desire." He laughed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"As your mate, I want you to tell me everything that happened when you heard...Macavity."

~~OoO~~

Victoria looked out the window of his room, seeing the night sky.

"I have to go." She made as if to leave, but the tuxedo caught her by the waist.  
>"Don't make me sleep alone, I beg you." He meowed, tugging absently on his ears like he had before, when he'd heard voices.<br>"Are you hearing things again?" Victoria asked, tilting her head questioningly.  
>"Hmm?" Mistoffelees glanced at his paws, dropping them immediately. "No, I'm just a little...um...I'm a little s-scared of Macavity...I don't want him attacking me." The tuxedo blushed profusely and hid his face from Victoria.<p>

"All right." The white queen chuckled to herself and walked with him to his bed. They both got in it and Mistoffelees drowsily wrapped his arm around her waist and licked her cheek. _It's nice, not_ _sleeping alone._ Victoria mused as she drifted off in Mistoffelees' bandaged arms.

~~OoO~~

Victoria awoke cold; Mistoffelees' arms were no longer wrapped around her. The white queen drowsily rolled over and was face-to-face with a dreaming Mistoffelees. He tugged on his ears in his sleep in whimpered softly.  
>"Misto." Victoria meowed. No response. "Mistoffelees. Mistoffelees! Magical, Marvelous, Mister Mistoffelees, the Original Conjuring Cat!" At the last word, she gingerly shook the tuxedo's jet black shoulder.<p>

"Ah! What?" He sat bolt upright and sparkled with the activation of his magic. After glancing wildly around and realizing he was alone with Victoria, he relaxed. "Sorry, Victoria. It was just a nightmare."

The white queen nodded and nuzzled his forehead comfortingly, giggling involuntarily when the sparkles from his fur tickled her face.

"It tickles." Victoria laughed harder as he wrapped his sparking arms around her. He seemed to ignore the cuts and stitches there.

"I can't help it." Mistoffelees replied as he cheekily scooted closer, resulting in Victoria collapsing into a quivering heap of laughter.

"What's so funny?" The magician teased.  
>"You are." Victoria replied, at last controlling her laughter and wrapping her arms around Mistoffelees, whose sparkles had finally dimmed.<p>

The tuxedo pouted indignantly, rolling over away from Victoria.

"Misto." Victoria teasingly poked his shoulder, carefully avoiding the bandages there.

"Hmmpf"

"Misto..." Another poke.

"Hmmpf." Mistoffelees crossed his arms, hiding an involuntary wince.

"_Miiiiiiiiiisto."_ Victoria sang in a screechy falsetto. Mistoffelees rolled over and planted a silencing kiss on her lips.

"Mm..." Mistoffelees pulled the petite queen closer to his small frame, reluctantly breaking the kiss when his arms threatened to give out. "We need to sleep." Victoria nodded, using the magician's fluffy white chest as a pillow.

~~OoO~~

Macavity grinned maniacally as he watched his son drift off with that little white queen in his 'safe' little room. Everything was going according to plan.


End file.
